Tag: rate increase

The Government Affairs Office (GAO) organized a second lobby day for continuous skilled nursing providers and parents to discuss our Patient Bill of Rights. With over 27 meetings scheduled, we focused on meeting with our legislators that sit on important committees and introduced our need to file a budget amendment to support the increased reimbursement rate needed to compete for a median of nurses. The day was successful, as we lined up House and Senate budget amendment sponsors and additional co-sponsors for the bill. As stated by the lobbyists from the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts, we “have set a solid foundation to build upon.” Next, we wait to see where the House will assign the bill and wait for a budget hearing.

NC Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger indicated that the state will have a budget surplus of over $500 million on a budget of $22.5 billion. While this projection is encouraging, our legislative asks remains high. Our increase request will take the aide rate from $13.88 to $17.00 over two years, which is nearly a fifty million dollar appropriation. To put things into perspective, last year there was a $425 budget surplus and our legislative ask was $3.6 million for nursing. We continue to garner support for this much needed increase. Watch for ways to get involved.

Recently, Community Liaison and 2016 BAYADA Ambassador of the Year Mike Sokoloski hosted a roundtable with PA Representative Aaron Kaufer. BAYADA started building a relationship with Representative Kaufer before he was elected to the General Assembly. As a result of our relationship, Representative Kaufer took an interest in our issues early on and learned more about the state’s human services programs.

During the roundtable, we spoke about our need for increased reimbursement rates for personal assistant services under the Office of Long-Term Living and the need to equalize access to home and community based service by allowing presumptive eligibility*. Equalizing access was an issue of great interest to Representative Kaufer, and since the roundtable, the Government Affairs Office (GAO) has been in touch with the Representative multiple times to determine next steps in the process.

GAO looks forward to working with Representative Kaufer and others to ensure presumptive eligibility is allowed for home health care in the state.

*Presumptive eligibility: Individuals can be presumed eligible for Medicaid services while their full application is being processed. Presumptive eligibility grants greater access to care and allows the individual to receive medically necessary treatment.

On January 10, BAYADA hosted a lobby day in Boston with members of the Continuous Skilled Nursing (CSN) provider coalition, the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts, and the Pediatric Home Nursing Care Campaign (a coalition of parents and grandparents). During the lobby day, we introduced a Patient Bill of Rights that will allow for adequate reimbursement rates and other protections for those receiving services under the CSN program. Since then, BAYADA testified along with other providers and parents about the need to increase the rate. We have also obtained over 50 sponsors to our bill, and sent over 400 emails to legislators about the bill. Most recently, one of the parents was featured on the CBS local affiliate WBZ Boston. The video could not have made our point more clear. See the full video here. The campaign was also featured in the Boston Globe the day after our lobby day. Click here to read more.

Last week, BAYADA’s Government Affairs Office (GAO) along with the Boston Pediatrics office, helped host a lobby day for providers, support organizations, and family coalition members. The purpose of the legislation was to introduce a patient bill of rights for the medically complex population receiving continuous skilled nursing services and to obtain co-sponsors. The event was well attended by over 100 individuals and many legislators and staff. During the lobby day, we had meetings with over 50 legislators and visited every office in the legislature to drop off our packet about the bill. We were also fortunate to have the Boston Globe cover our Lobby Day! To date, we have over a dozen legislators that have signed onto the bill. Parents and supporters who were unable to be at the lobby day in person sent over 400 emails to legislators. Click here for the full text and to see what your colleagues have said about the article:

To commemorate the start of the 2017-2018 regular session, our staff attended an annual breakfast in Raleigh on January 11. As hosts of the event, staff had a 30 minute private mingle with members. We were able to thank lawmakers for the nursing increase last year, and to discuss the less-than-adequate aide rate and the overly burdensome and varying administrative requirements of Local Management Entity/Managed Care Organizations. Further, Senator Shirley Randleman, a home care supporter, thanked us for keeping her in the loop on a constituent issue where a medically fragile child is in jeopardy of losing his private duty nursing. To which Randleman said, “For the insurance company to say this baby is stable and doesn’t need home health care is unbelievable.” She is willing to help in any way possible. Events like this allow us to continue to build relationship with lawmakers. Click here for photos. Special thanks to the following staff members who represented BAYADA:

Chad Shore

Dena Hinkle

Donna Heatherly

Elizabeth Goad

Trip Smithdeal

Photo: BAYADA advocates at the Women in Politics breakfast on January 11.

This year, will be the first year in many years that we will be working with lawmakers to garner support for a much needed Medicaid rate increase. We are partnering with other providers, as well as the South Carolina Association for Home & Hospice Care to ensure a unified voice. Lawmakers return to Columbia on January 10, where we will work with leadership in both chambers. Senator Hugh Leatherman, Sr. of Florence will remain the chair of Finance and Senator Harvey Peeler, Jr. of Cherokee will lead Medical Affairs. In the House, Representative Brian White will remain chair of Ways and Means.

Lawmakers return to Raleigh, NC for the start of the 2017-2019 legislative session on January 11. We expect to see a few changes in committee assignments and leadership, especially in House Appropriations for Health & Human Services (HHS), with the election defeat of Representative Marilyn Avila. However, we anticipate (and are thrilled) that Representative Nelson Dollar will remain Chair of HHS Appropriations and Representative Josh Dobson will assume the leadership position of vice-chair on that committee. Senators Ralph Hise and Louis Pate will remain Co-Chairs of Senate Appropriations for HHS. Our reimbursement priority is to increase the Medicaid aide rate from $13.88 to $17.00 over two years.

On January 10, there will be a lobby day at the State Capital Building in Boston. The goal of the lobby day is to have a unified group of clients, families, home care providers and all who want a better tomorrow for home care, to come together and unveil a new Patient Bill of Rights. Moving forward, this Bill of Rights will protect the rights of the children and adults who utilize Continuous Skilled Nursing Services within the home care setting including mandating a fair and more equal wage for the nurses who provide these services in the homes of our clients.